


Post-Its

by BooksandKpop



Series: SF9 College AU [2]
Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Roomates, Slow Burn, fair warning, i mean sloooow, side pairings, they don't meet until the last chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-03 20:52:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10975116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksandKpop/pseuds/BooksandKpop
Summary: Meeting your new housemate for the first time is always going to be nerve-wrecking right? Well what if you've been living together for six weeks and still haven't met? That's surely got to be worse.





	1. Youngbin

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, I was like 10k into this fic when the page crashed and I lost pretty much everything...I never get inspiration to write something, but when I do I'm sure as hell going to keep working on it. It'll probably be a considerable amount shorter though...we'll see.
> 
> Characters ages are slightly different;  
> Hyung line (Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon) - 23  
> Middle line (Dawon, Rowoon, Juho) - 21  
> Maknae line (Taeyang, Hwiyoung, Chani) - 20

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU STILL HAVEN'T MET YOUR HOUSEMATE?!!"

Honestly, that was a mild reaction to the bombshell Youngbin had just dropped on his friends. He had been expecting a lot more, well he wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting but it definitely involved more yelling and curses thrown his way. Maybe it was because none of them had gotten to drink their coffee yet. Yeah that was probably it, once the caffeine kicked in and they were awakened from their post 8am lecture slump the real reactions would come. 

"Wait, hyung, we're six weeks into the semester and you moved in to your apartment a few days before the semester even started. How have you not met the guy?"

Juho was the first of his five friends to speak up in the heavy silence that surrounded them in their usual meeting spot. Right behind the university library there was a stone bandstand, mostly sheltered from the elements by the big old building itself. Every Monday after their 8 am lectures, they grabbed coffee from the little cafe on campus and convened there to talk about their weekend or whatever else was on their minds. They were a bit of and odd assortment, if you saw them together you might just assume they were classmates or had just bumped into one another. But actully, they had been together as a group for five years now. 

Youngbin was the oldest by two years and in his fourth year in university, and for that reason was assigned the role of the "dad" in their group. It fit him though, he was a born leader as demonstrated by the fact he was voted co-captain of their universities dance team. The next eldest were the anime couple, Juho and Seokwoo, with their deadly looks people often thought they had walked straight out of a comic. Juho looked sharp and with his deep voice people assumed he was cold, but in reality he was like a puppy. Seokwoo was the official "mom friend", always making sure everyone was wrapped up warm and cooking whenever they came over to stay. His status as the most attractive guy on campus was not an exaggeration, sometimes he was mistaken for a model rather than a student. The couple had made it official at the start of their uni days last year, despite everyone insisting they had been dating since the day they met. Then the three youngest members, who had just started university a month and a half ago but were already known on campus. Taeyang was often compared to the sun, and his enthusiasm for dance had gotten him scouted for the team during the first week. Youngkyun, like Juho, was often mistaken for a cold city guy, but he was even softer than his hyung and was the biggest scardey cat in their group, a weakness that was exploited mercilessly. Finally the youngest Chanhee, or as Youngbin affectionately called him, the spawn of satan in a puppies body. He had everyone wrapped around his little finger, and had been promised a spot on the dance team if he finished in the top three in the universities first showcase at Halloween, which was in less than two weeks time. The five had become friends thanks to a stray football, lost cat and a mothers good intentions...but that is a very long story, better suited for another time.

"Yeah, hyung how is it possible for you not to have met your housemate? You literally live together."

Chanhee seemed to have woken up after taking a sip of his cavity inducing drink, honestly it shouldn't have been allowed to be labeled as 'coffee', since it was more sugar than anything else. But if it got him through his history of education classes on a Monday morning, then Youngbin would let him be.

"Well, it seems like we have schedules that are exactly opposite. My schedule always starts at 8 in the morning during the week, and between dance practice and volunteering I'm always out of the apartment super early in the morning. And by the time I get back after classes or work in the evening, he's already left for his job. The only time we're in the apartment at the same time is after he gets back from his night shift and we're both sleeping."

It was true, Youngbin honestly had no idea what his housemate was like in person having never seen his face or even heard him moving about in his room. It was frustrating and honestly getting a bit awkward at this point. He might be passing the person he is living with on campus every day and not even knowing.

"Wait, if you've never met him how do you know he works a night shift, maybe he just goes out drinking every night or something?"

The caffeine seemed to have finally kicked in for Taeyang too, the boy returning to his usual observant self. This statement got the attention of the group and they all looked at Youngbin expectantly, waiting for an answer. Before he could tell them anything, he took a large swig of his coffee because he knew he would need it for the questioning that was sure to soon follow.

"Well you see, we've been talking to each other through Post-Its on the fridge, he uses pink and I use boring old yellow. It kind of started as an accident really, but now it's just a daily thing."

Youngbin gave it fifteen seconds max before his words registered in his friends heads, and there it was, he could see a light glimmering in Youngkyuns eyes.

"Post-Its, you mean the colourful pieces of note paper that people stick places to remind themselves of things? The ones you keep borrowing from all of us?"

He understood straight away, and Youngbin couldn't help the slightly guilty flush he felt colouring his cheeks. He had been borrowing Post-Its from all his friends for the last two months to talk to his housemate, since he was too cheap to actually go and buy them for himself.

"Hyung, why are you using sticky notes to communicate with your housemate instead of texting or, oh I don't know, actually talking face-to-face?"

A unanimous nodding of heads came from around the group at Juhos point, and he could tell by the incredulous looks in their eyes that he wasn't going to get away with just any old answer. 

"Well, like I said it started by accident. One morning I had used up the last of the milk in my cereal and I knew I had to remind myself to get more, and since I had a Post-It on hand at that moment in time I just wrote "Buy milk" and stuck it on the fridge. But when I got back from class that evening there was a pink note on the fridge instead, and it said "I got milk and eggs since we were out of those too. I'm Inseong, it's nice to finally (kinda) meet you!" and then obviously I wrote him a note back to say thanks for the groceries and to introduce myself and it just sorta escalated from there."

There was just a long period of nothing as his friends took in all the information. Youngbin had wanted to tell them from the start but he kept it to himself, feeling like it was something almost intimate between him and Inseong, and he hadn't particularly wanted to share it. 

"Binnie hyung, I know that look on your face, you get like this when you're crushing on someone. I'm telling you right now, as your friend, I cannot let you start pining for a guy you've never even met."

It was the first time Seokwoo had spoken since his outraged shriek in response to Youngbin telling them he had yet to meet Inseong when they first sat down. He seemed much calmer now, and less likely to nag Youngbins ear off for doing something stupid. But he could still feel the judgmental looks from five pairs of eyes.

"You can't really be crushing on him can you hyung? Like Seokwoo said, you haven't even met the guy, and you've only spoken to him through yellow pieces of paper."

"He uses pink Post-Its Juho, and I don't know why but I just feel like he gets me. Like, it's not just grocery lists we leave for each other, they are also notes of encouragement or information about the day or plans and it feels really domestic to me."

Youngbin hoped they wouldn't push him into saying any more than that, because he didn't want to tell them about the time he had found a note saying "I'm sad" and felt his heart crack a little, or the time Inseong had made extra dinner and left it aside for him when he knew Youngbins dance practice was going to run late. He didn't want to explain why he felt the need to write a Post-It telling his housemate about his 100% on a quiz before he even told the rest of his friends, or how his heart soared when the note he got back said "I'm proud of you Youngbinnie!". They were very personal feelings, and he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to acknowledge what they might mean. Youngbin thought he had been in love before, during his first year of college, with a classmate- Kim Youjin, tall and handsome and wickedly clever. They dated in secret for three months before Youngbin confronted him about making their relationship public. But Youjin wasn't ready to come out just yet, and so he left, breaking Youngbin's heart in the process. There are no longer any hard feelings between the two, but that was the first time Youngbin had felt a true ache of pain in his chest from something emotional. How was he supposed to explain to his friends that he felt that same aching pain when he saw unhappy thoughts expressed on a pink piece of paper.

"Hyung, I am happy that you finally decided to tell us about your little situation, but what I'm struggling to see is why now?"

It was Youngkyun, again with his sensible observations. None of the others had given much thought to why Youngbin was suddenly telling them this over their Monday morning coffee, but he had, and Youngbin couldn't help but grin. Law was certainly the right thing for him to be studying. But now they were all looking at him expectantly, and he sighed knowing that he had to give something else away if he wanted their help.

"Ok, well I am sorry to break it to you Woonie but I do think I am developing some sort of feelings for him. And the reason I told you guys is because I need help making a plan to meet him."

It wasn't very often Youngbin directly asked for help, he would always try to work things out by himself first, and even after that he never admitted to needing help, but would gratefully accept it anyway. So when he did ask them to help, they knew it was something he was serious about and they would do anything they could for him.

"Do you have his phone number hyung? Why not just text him and ask to meet up?"

"Yeah, or ditch your last class and go home early to meet him, would that not work?"

Taeyang and Chanhee both had pretty solid ideas, which in any normal case would be a perfect solution. Only, Youngbin didn't want to text Inseong out of the blue to ask to talk, that sounded too ominous, and arriving home unexpectedly might do more harm than good. 

"You are obviously bothered a lot by this, and if you are then chances are that your housemate is too. Why don't you just leave him a message saying that you would like to meet him properly, and leave the ball in his court."

Of course it was responsible mom Seokwoo who came up with the most reasonable plan, and it gave Youngbin a small bit of comfort that he wouldn't be overstepping any boundaries by giving Inseong full control over meeting up. Maybe Seokwoo was right and he was just as anxious to meet Youngbin, but if that wasn't the case then his offer wasn't forced. And besides, it most certainly couldn't get any more awkward than the current situation.

"Thank you guys, for the advice and for not making fun of me too much."

They all laughed as they filed out of their group spot into the autumn sun, their coffee was all gone and Youngkyun had a 10 am lecture to go to. They said their goodbyes at the square as they went their own ways and Youngbin couldn't be more thankful he had such a calm and understanding group of friends. 


	2. Inseong

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

"Not bad Jaeyoon hyung, but you should really put emphasis on the middle by going up in pitch. Here let me show yo-"

"Sanghyuk, if you scream I will smother you with this pillow."

"Inseongie you wouldn't do that~"

"Just try me Jae, I'll make sure to beat _you_ with it too when I'm finished."

Inseong had made a lot of stupid, rash decisions in the past, but he decided that going to his two nut-case best friends for help was at the top of the list. He had arrived home from his night shift at 11:21 pm, toed off his shoes and left them neatly at the door, then hung up his jacket. At 11:24 pm he was running back out the door without his jacket and scrambling to fit his feet into the same shoes he had just taken off. All because of a small piece of yellow paper.

"Alright hyung I'll stay quiet, but only if you give us the details, we're dying here!"

The loudest of the three friends was youngest, Sanghyuk, a second year, and while he usually demanded to be the center of attention he knew that this was something far more important. Jaeyoon, a fourth year like Inseong, - was maybe the calmest of the three most of the time- he seemed pretty chill if you saw him just in passing, but when you got him going he could be even more over-the-top than Sanghyuk. Inseong was also very loud- it was how he met the other two after all;- nothing says "Let's be friends" like having a screaming match with complete strangers in the middle of the night. That was an even _longer_ story, but that was the birth of the university's infamous "extra line".

"Ok, so maybe I overreacted a little, it's not exactly a date..."

"WHAT?? YOU BARGE INTO OUR ROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SCREAMING THAT YOU GOT A DATE AND _NOW_ YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE CASE??"

"I mean, it could be a date if I agree to it, but I don't know what to do and that's why I came here!"

"Hyung, you came to us for dating advice? That's really dumb even for you."

Inseong was well aware of how dumb it was, but in the heat of the moment, as he was reading the note in momentary shock the only thing he could think of doing was running to the comfort of his closest friends of six years. So that was how he ended up out of breath (he doesn't exactly "do" exercise) huddled in a blanket fort with his friends glued to either side of him. The fact that a simple question on a Post-It made him resort to panicking and running in the same night certainly said a lot about the writer of the notes. But it wasn't like Inseong could help it;- who _wouldn't_ fall for a guy who left him cute notes to say "Sleep well" or made him food when he was sad. And when he accidentally discovered that his housemate is no other than Kim Youngbin, dancer extraordinare and one of the most good-looking guys Inseong has ever seen in his life? He couldn't help it at _all_. 

"Look, I know it's stupid, but I didn't want to make a stupid decision on my own- at least if I make it with you guys I'll know my stupidity is validated."

"It's _so_ nice to know you appreciate our opinions like that Inseongie, really it means a lot."

There was sarcasm dripping from Jaeyoons words, which resulted in the next five minutes being spent sticking their tongues out at each other and making childish faces. But then Inseong spotted the devilish paper in the corner of his eye, the bright yellow colour taunting him with its prospect of happiness.

"Why don't you just tell us exactly what the note says, and we'll help you decipher it, ok hyung?"

That was a reasonable suggestion, and one that actually might yield some insight into what he should do about the whole situation. Of course, Inseong had told his two friends from the very start about not yet having met his housemate. They had both moved in a week prior to the start of the semester and there had been still no sign of him at any time during the day when Inseong was home. Of course his immediate thought had been that he had been duped into thinking he had a housemate when he was really living all by himself, but there were groceries he hadn't bought in the fridge and shoes that were not his at the door. Two weeks had passed and at that point Inseong had thought that his housemate had been purposefully avoiding him for some reason, so of course he had had a minor breakdown in a rapidly constructed pillow fort in his best friends' shared bedroom in their apartment, two complexes over from his own. Soon after, though, he had finally seen a small sign of communication from the mystery man he lived with-, sure it hadn't exactly been meant for him but Inseong had decided that he would take what he could get. And so that's how a yellow Post-It simply saying "Buy milk" had turned into a rather quaint way of talking with his housemate, Youngbin.

It wasn't until two weeks after that, when grocery lists had been accompanied by "Good luck on your quiz" and "There's leftover pizza in the fridge" that Inseong had realised he was harbouring the start of a crush on a guy he'd never seen before. Which of course had led to another blanket fort comfort session, and wailing over how unfair his life was. The third breakdown had happened when he had finally put the pieces together and realised that his housemate, whose name was Youngbin and was a fourth year who had dance practice most days, was actually _Kim Youngbin_ , the co-captain of the university's dance team; he had been on Inseong's "hot guy alert" radar since their second year. Inseong had been fairly certain that Youngbin had no idea who he was though, and so had to refrain from acknowledging his housemate when they passed each other on campus in between classes. In fact, Inseong had just resigned himself to the fact that living with someone for six weeks without meeting them properly had crossed the "too-awkward to talk about" line and that his late night work shifts in the bar off-campus and weekend gaming nights were just not going to match with Youngbin's early bird classes and morning weekend training sessions.

"Well, at first I thought I read it wrong because I was so tired from work and my vision was also a little blurry from the new kid squirting lemon juice in my eye by accident and all I wanted was a drink of milk before I went to bed but I never even got to open the fridge because of this stupid torturous note stuck right on the center of the fridge door and I couldn't think straight so I just yanked it off and ran here and now I realise how stupid that was because now he's going to wake up in the morning and his note will be gone and I won't have left a reply yet-, what if he thinks I'm ignoring him and he never wants to talk to me aga- ow what the HELL??"

"Hyung, if you kept going on like that you would have run out of breath and fainted."

"You didn't have to SLAP ME?!"

As the two bickered over what should and should not be done to someone in the middle of having a near panic attack, Jaeyoon reached out and sneakily picked up the offending note that had caused his friend such hysterics.

"So I was thinking about how weird it was that we've never met each other in person, and I was just wondering if - _oomph_ "

Inseong knew as soon as he heard the first few words that Jaeyoon was reading his post-it and immediately broke away from the headlock Sanghyuk had put him in to flatten his other best friend to the bed and attempt to wrestle the paper from his grasp. Sanghyuk merely played antagonist to the pairs rolling around fighting, cheering them both on while trying to keep their blanket fort intact. Eventually Jaeyoon got Inseong pinned under him and, slightly out of breath, handed the note to their youngest friend so that he could finish reading it.

"Where did you leave off, hyung? Oh wait here it is... _'I was just wondering if we could maybe get our schedules synced for a change and have dinner sometime?'_...that sounds like a date to me, Inseongie hyung."

Inseong sighed in defeat, both at being pinned by Jaeyoon yet again and having to give up control of reading the post-it himself. (Although he was kind of grateful he didn't have to read it himself-, he knew he would have been bright red and stuttering at the end which would have led to merciless teasing from the other two.) He had known it sounded like Youngbin was asking him on a date, but he had always been bad at reading situations (or notes) like this and had gotten into some trouble in the past for that very reason. His friends were there for the so called "Johnny Incident" and they had decided never to speak of it again. 

"So what do you think I should do? How do I even respond to something like that?"

"Well obviously you say yes, Inseongie-, tell him you want to meet him too and then you guys can discuss which day works the best for both of you."

"I don't want to go back and forth like this trying to arrange a day though-, every time a suggestion doesn't work out I know I'll just get upset, and that means invading your bedroom demanding cuddles."

His two friends considered their options more seriously after this; while they loved Inseong very much and were more than happy to accommodate the occasional breakdown and blanket fort cuddle session, they were happening at an increasingly frequent rate that was taking the novelty out of their childish games. 

"Hyung, isn't the bar you work in closed next Friday for renovations? That means you won't have work, and you'll be able to stay in your apartment Friday evening. You should totally suggest that as your date night!!"

It was such a blindingly obvious solution that somehow both Inseong and Jaeyoon, who both worked at the bar, had forgotten about. He wouldn't be working, so he would be able to stay at home on Friday evening and finally have dinner with his housemate (that he most certainly had a crush on) . It was the perfect plan.

"Ok Inseongie, we've solved your problem, now go home and write your reply and go to bed, we have a 10 am lecture tomorrow and I do not want to be dealing with you when you're sleep deprived."

Inseong nodded solemnly and rolled Jaeyoon off him, and then in true extra line fashion, he shrieked like a dying cat and flung himself off the bed, tearing down their blanket fort and trapping his best friends in the ruins. He laughed as he saw them squirming to find their way out and probably attempt to strangle him, but he had his shoes on and was out the door just as a disgruntled Sanghyuk stuck his head out.

"Hyung we're changing the locks and never helping you EVER AGAIN!!!"

He could hear the pair complaining rather loudly and they were probably throwing curses at his back, but he didn't care too much. They had helped him come up with a plan to finally meet Youngbin in person, and he couldn't be more thankful for his loud and crazy friends who always helped him keep his spirits up.


	3. Misunderstandings

The note that Youngbin left for Inseong sounded casual, a simple friendly invitation with no time frame or pressure to say yes. Truthfully though, it was the result of two hours and seven initial drafts of what he wanted to say, the previous versions being either yielding "too clingy hyung, you sound like a jealous girlfriend" or "I thought you liked this guy? It sounds like you want to fight him or something" style responses from his friends. Eventually though, they all agreed on the wording of one, and in his best handwriting Youngbin carefully wrote the little yellow Post-It. 

When he woke up the following morning to the soft tones of his alarm, he felt nervous for reasons he didn't want to consider, especially when the sun hadn't even broken the clouds yet. It took him longer to get up and dressed than on a normal morning, since he was trying to delay the inevitable as long as possible. He hadn't meant to stay awake listening for Inseongs return from work, but his mind just wouldn't settle down instead running through every possible outcome of the situation. Just as he had enough of the negative thoughts and made up his mind to take down the Post-It and try again a different day, he heard their front door opening and started panicking. Three minutes later, according to the display on his clock, he heard the door opening and closing rapidly again and his heart had dropped to the floor. He had walked out slowly, checking his housemate really had left (more like fled) and to his dismay, there was no sign of his yellow note on their fridge. Inseong had obviously taken it the wrong way and didn't want to stay there anymore. It took Youngbin a long time to fall back asleep when he returned to bed.

It was unfortunate Youngbin hadn't stayed awake for 10 more minutes, as Inseong crept in the door with his heart in his throat but a resolve in mind. He went to his room and quickly wrote his pink Post-It, after going through numerous drafts in his head on the walk back from his friends apartment. Finally though he settled on a short but positive note, to the point and confirming he really did want to meet Youngbin too. It took him longer than it should have to actually stick the note to the fridge though, but after ten minutes of will-I-won't-I, and a very annoyed text from Jaeyoon, he firmly placed it and ran back to his room before he could change his mind. All he could do now was wait to see how Youngbin responded in the morning.

When Youngbin walked in to the kitchen, he kept his head down not wanting to look at the empty spot he was sure sat glaringly obvious on their fridge. But to his utmost surprise, there was a little pink Post-It smack bang in the middle of the door. His heart leaped, even without reading it. Inseong had come back and written him a response, in the dead of night, and it was a positive one. It was short, but Youngbin felt a huge weight lift of his shoulder after he finished going over the words.

"I was just thinking the same honestly. I'm not working next Friday night if that time suits you? We could do dinner at home."

Youngbin found himself reading and re-reading the words over and over, until he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket with a call from Seokwoo. They were waiting outside his building, and if he didn't get a move on they would all be late for their morning lecture. Without even thinking, he pocketed the pink paper, grabbed his bag from the living area, and walked out of the apartment in a daze, not fully sure how he found his way down the three flights of stairs. Seokwoo and Youngkyun were the only two waiting, since the others didn't start until later in the morning. One look at Youngbins face and they could tell he was in a great mood, there were crinkles in the corners of his eyes and a lazy smile gracing his lips. Seokwoo could only roll his eyes and the puppy-love look on his hyungs face.

"Come on hyung its cold and we've been waiting for like ten minutes. What took you so long, you're usually waiting for us."

Youngkyun was pouting, he could have had ten more minutes in his bed this morning, but an elbow in the side and a proper look at Youngbins face made him realise what must have happened. He was a bit annoyed at himself for not seeing it first time, but then again he figured Seokwoo had more experience with what crushes looked like when they worked out. 

"Sorry my little Kyunnie, I'll buy you hot chocolate at lunch later to make up for it ok?"  
It must have been very good news for Youngbin to offer buying him a drink without any prompting or begging on his part. But if he was going to get hot chocolate paid for, there was no way he was complaining. Snorting at the shock on Youngkyuns face at the offer, Seokwoo grabbed Youngbin by the shoulders and started steering him towards the main buildings of the university and started power-walking. He was happy for him, but couldn't afford to miss his 8 am lecture and had a sneaking suspicion that without being kicked into gear, Youngbin wouldn't move himself for at least another twenty minutes when he fully woke up. 

"That's a great idea hyung, you can buy all of us drinks in the cafe at lunch and then give us a rundown of why you seem starstruck this morning."

They of course already had a very good idea of the reason, but would much rater hear it straight from Youngbin, and chances were he would have come down off his cloud by then and would refuse to buy them drinks anyway. At least until the two youngest pulled their not-so-aegyo that for whatever reason always got him to agree to their ridiculous demands. It was cute really, how much he cared for them and was willing to ignore the way they manipulated him if it made them happy. Youngkyun giggled at the sight of their tallest friend maneuvering Youngbin towards his lecture, they certainly acted like parents sometimes, but he loved it a lot. With a quick text to Chanhee about the promise of drinks on Youngbin, he pocketed his phone and jogged to catch up with the pair, very much looking forward to how their lunch would go.

***  
Inseong woke up to an odd sound in the apartment, the sound of their kettle boiling away. He immediately shot up in bed and rubbed his eyes furiously, six weeks living there and he had woken up to silence every day of it, this was something very out of the ordinary. Then he remembered what had happened last night, which explained why his body felt like lead and his eyes were more puffy than usual. Suddenly cautious, afraid of what he might find in the kitchen, he cracked the door open slightly, and immediately yelled in frustration. He had been hoping that it would be Youngbin, forgoing class to stay and have breakfast with him, but instead he was greeted by the sight of Sanghyuk doing his "tea-dance" in the space between the living room and kitchen. When he heard Inseong cry he spun around, and cracked into a big goofy grin.

"Gooooood morning to my favourite hyung! Did you sleep well last night?"

He was like a never ending ball of energy, he had been up just as late as Inseong and yet here he was making breakfast looking like someone out of a skin care ad, glowing and smiling brightly. 

"Sanghyuk what are you doing here? I thought you had labs all day today?"

"Nopee, they were cancelled because our T.A got a bad dose of food poisoning last night and they don't trust us to be unsupervised yet! So I thought I would come and make you breakfast since I was sure you wouldn't be awake yet."

There really was no limit to his young friends kindness, he might have been very loud and overbearing at times but it was all centered around a heart of pure gold. Inseong smiled softly and shook his head, walking out to give him a big hug as a thank you. It's not that he was bad at cooking exactly, he could get away with breakfast and some simple dishes. But a complicated dinner was never going to come about with his limited culinary skills, at least not one that was edible anyway. Which of course got him thinking about dinner plans he had set out with his housemate, and all of a sudden there was a storm of butterflies in his stomach threatening to crawl up his throat. A hurried look at the fridge revealed no sign of his pink Post-It, but no responding yellow one either. The butterflies suddenly felt like acid burning him up inside.

"He-ey Sanghyukkie, you didn't happen to knock anything off the fridge when you were getting stuff out for breakfast did you?"

All of a sudden there were two hands on either side of his cheeks and a face very close to his own. Inseong could see the worry in Sanghyuks eyes, even if it was a little blurry from their alarming proximity. 

"No hyung, I looked at it when I came in and there was no sign of your pink note, I thought you chickened out from putting it there and that's why I'm making eggs for breakfast."

To others that might not have made sense but in Inseongs mind it was perfectly rational, but the dread of what it meant was overbearing that. His Post-It that he made sure to securely stick to the fridge last night, was not there when Sanghyuk arrived this morning, which meant that Youngbin saw it and took it down. But there was no yellow reply in its place, and while there were several perfectly good reasons why, Inseong couldn't help his mind jumping to the negatives. Maybe when Youngbin read the note he realised he actually didn't want to meet him and decided to ignore it, or maybe it had all been a sick joke and he was going to go and show it to his friends and laugh at how eager Inseong had been. Or maybe...

"Stop thinking like that hyung I know that's not the case, he was probably just late for class and didn't get a chance to write back, or maybe he didn't have a Post-It on hand. Give it until this evening, I'm sure there will be one waiting for you when you get home from work later."

Apparently Inseong had been rambling his insecurities out loud, and like always Sanghyuk knew just what to say to snap him out of his spiral of thoughts. He nodded and buried his head into his younger friends shoulder, doing the breathing exercises he had to help him down from a breakdown. When he felt calm enough, he looked at his friend and gave him the biggest smile he could muster.

"Thank you, as always. Let's have that breakfast you've been slaving over and head to the library for a bit ok? I need to check out a book for some personal study."

Sanghyuk nodded enthusiastically and grinned. They decided they would invite Jaeyoon along too after his lecture finished and study for a bit before Inseong had to come back and get ready for work. With Sanghyuks arm over his shoulder and a stomach full of scrambled eggs and juice, he felt the nerves in his stomach settle a bit as they walked towards the library. He would just have to wait until tonight to see what Youngbin would respond with.


	4. Close Call

Five pairs of eyes stared at Youngbin from around a cafe table that was far too small. The skies had opened just after they went in to get their lunch time drinks and it was unanimously decided they would sit in for a change. Although they were slightly regretting it now, since they were trying to fit six of them around a table meant for four, and three of their group were over 180cm tall which certainly didn't help. But with their hot drinks, bought by Youngbin after a few pouts and puppy dog looks, and a sense of expectation in the air they were content to deal with the discomfort for a little longer. 

"Come on hyung, you can't keep it from us forever, we'll find out in other ways if you don't tell us."

"Chanhee, don't be rude and give him a minute to compose himself, it's not everyday you get a love confession written on a Post-It."

Juho got a smack on the shoulder from his boyfriend for that, and one look from Seokwoo at the younger three and they quickly shut their mouths, refraining from the sly quips they certainly had ready to let fly. They went back to staring at Youngbin, more intently than before.

"It wasn't a love confession Juho, he just said he would also like to meet and do dinner."

"With the way you were looking this morning hyung, I get the feeling that's not everything he said."

The group turned to look at Youngkyun at his comment, and the questioning looks were piercing. But he merely shrugged his shoulders at them and nodded his head back towards their eldest and took a sip of his promised hot chocolate, looking pleased with himself.

"Well- no you're right he did write something else. He said that he has the night off work next Friday and he wanted to know if that evening would suit me. He, uh, suggested we do dinner at home."

There was a slight flush on Youngbins cheeks as he relayed the message from the pink Post-It to the group, he really didn't know why he was feeling flustered over this. It wasn't like Inseong had gone out of his way to make plans or anything, it just happened to work out well that they finally had a time they would both be in the apartment together. But yet he felt heat creeping up his neck at the thought of how decisive Inseong had been, and that was another thought he was going to lock away in the back of his mind. 

"Wow, he didn't waste any time did he hyung? I thought you would have to be going back and forth with these notes for a few days before you found a day that worked."

Taeyang must have some sort of sixth sense for Youngbins discomfort, and hit the nail on the head with his words. Of course all the others nodded in agreement, commenting on how decisive his housemate was and what a good trait it was to have. Youngbin had originally planned to tell them about him fleeing the apartment after reading his own note, but afraid of the theories they would come up with he decided it was something he would keep to himself.

"So that's it then right Binnie hyung, you've agreed to next Friday for dinner?"

As Seokwoo said that, Youngbin realised what had been nagging him in the back of his mind all morning. He had been so relieved about Inseong wanting to meet him for dinner, he completely forgot to leave a note to say yes, he was free that night. As it dawned on him what exactly that might mean, Juho decided it was the right time to raise a toast.

"To our hyung, who finally got his act together enough to meet his housemate!"

The group laughed and finished off their different drinks before getting their bags packed up and ready to leave, since they still had classes to attend that afternoon. Youngbin was faced with a dilemma then, he had a lecture in twenty minutes, but his apartment was only ten minutes away if he walked fast. He could go back to the apartment, leave a note for Inseong to see before he went to work that evening confirming their dinner date, and make it back just in time for the start of the class. It was a split second decision that he had to make, and he had made his mind up as he stood up and grabbed his bag. 

"Yah! Hyung where are you going in such a hurry, we have loads of time before class?"

Youngbin didn't hear his friends words as he bolted out of the cafe with vaguely reassuring words thrown over his shoulder. He was sure they would question him later, but he didn't want Inseong to experience the same sinking dread at not finding a response to his note when he got back to the apartment. Maybe if he had thought more about it, he would have remembered that he had Inseongs number and could simply text him a response, but his focus was on what exactly he would write on the Post-It without sounding too enthusiastic.

***

His friends had tried their best to keep him from dwelling on the events of the morning, Sanghyuk decided that he would people watch and point out the most ridiculous things about everyone who passed by their table in the library. Jaeyoon took a simpler approach, choosing to smother Inseong with affection and telling lame jokes to keep his spirits up. In the end, they got absolutely no study done but at least he was feeling more like himself. They waited out the sudden rain storm that had soaked the campus in the cafeteria, and once it seemed to have stopped the three made their way back to Inseongs apartment. It wasn’t too far of a walk, about fifteen minutes at a leisurely walking pace, and a little further to the complex Jaeyoon and Sanghyuk lived in.

“You know hyungs, I’ve been looking for a part time job of my own. Don’t you think it would be so awesome if I could work in the same bar as you two?”

They had this discussion at least twice a week with Sanghyuk, he was looking for a job to earn a bit of extra money for his own personal spending. However, there was no way on this earth that Inseong or Jaeyoon would ever recommend him to work at the bar. It was nothing to do with his work ethic or ability, but rather that he would end up getting in to a full-blown conversation with a customer and forget to serve anyone else. Or he might be working hard, but as soon as a song he knew was played, he would be out on the dance floor instead of behind the bar. So as much as they loved their young friend, serving was just not going to fit him.

“I don’t think so Sanghyukkie, they’re not really looking for staff at the moment. We’ll keep an eye out in other places for you though.”

It was the usual answer, and Sanghyuk just nodded his head unfazed. They continued walking, small pieces of conversation keeping them from total silence but it was comfortable all the same. Inseong wondered if he would ever find someone he could be as comfortable with as he was with his friends. The three of them each had friends from their own courses and hobbies, but none that ever stuck with the group as a whole. They didn’t mind though, there was no problems within their group of three musketeers. Just as they were turning the corner to go into the lobby of the apartment complex, Jaeyoon was almost flattened by a body flying around it. 

“I’m so sorry!!! Are you ok? I just really have to go I’m dead late.”

Jaeyoon nodded and the guy was gone, sprinting off towards the university like it was life or death. A glance at his watch showed it was five to four, meaning the guy was probably running to a lecture. He laughed a little and turned back to head inside the building with his friends. 

“Hey Jaeyoon hyung, did you get a look at that guy’s face? You know the one who ran into you?”

They were sitting on the couch in Inseongs living area, while he was getting changed into his uniform, and Sanghyuk was being very suspicious.

“Why are you whispering? No I didn’t see his face, he had a mask on and his hood was up.”

Sanghyuk sighed at that and leaned back against the arm of the couch. He had his thinking face on, and while it was absolutely adorable, Jaeyoon knew better than to interrupt him. While he was waiting for Sanghyuk to conclude whatever was on his mind, he looked around the apartment and spotted something that caught his attention immediately. On the ground by the breakfast counter, there was a little piece of yellow note paper. Now to anyone else this wouldn’t have meant anything but Jaeyoon knew better, it was a Post-It, and that was intriguing. When they had come into the apartment first, Inseong had immediately looked to the fridge, and greeted with no yellow note he trudged back to his room. But now, there was evidence that perhaps the note had fallen from its rightful place.

“Alright guys I’m all set, what do you want to do for dinner? Jaeyoon what are you doing on the floor?”

Inseong had come out of his room ready for work, and found Sanghyuk curled up with his thinking face on, and Jaeyoon on his hands and knees under his breakfast counter. It wasn’t the weirdest thing he had seen with his friends, not by a long shot, but it still confused him. Suddenly Jaeyoon jumped up with his hands behind his back and a look on his face that said he was hiding something. Inseong narrowed his eyes as he made his way into the open living space, this was more like what normally happened so he prepared himself for the nonsense he was sure was coming next.

“Hyung, I think that guy who ran into Jaeyoon outside the building was your housemate.”

It was Sanghyuk who broke the silence, and as much as Inseong had been prepared for madness this was outside his expectations. He looked at his friend curiously and was met with wide innocent eyes staring back. Jaeyoon laughed from his spot in the kitchen and walked back to the pair.

“You know what, I think you’re right. It was Youngbin for sure.”

Now Inseong was even more confused, what Sanghyuk had said was nonsense and now Jaeyoon was agreeing with him. He pinched himself to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep while getting ready for work and determined this was actually happening. He gave both of them his most disbelieving look and scoffed. Before he could retort with a quip from his repertoire of mad jokes, Jaeyoon showed him what he had been hiding behind his back.

“It was on the floor underneath your breakfast counter, I’d bet next week’s wages that it flew off the fridge. Your housemate seemed in quite the hurry so he probably didn’t secure it properly before he left.”

There was a look of triumph on Jaeyoons face and approval on Sanghyuks. The evidence was pretty clear, and it was staring at him from a yellow Post-It in his friend’s hand. Inseong reached out and plucked it gingerly from Jaeyoon, and read it in disbelief. Youngbin had come back to their apartment in the middle of the day, when he had lectures, just to leave him a reply. The butterflies were back in force, making Inseong feel like he was going to float away any second now. 

“Well hyung, what did he say?”

“He said that next Friday suits perfectly, and he can’t wait to finally meet me.”

Inseongs voice was quiet, and almost cracked at the end. The power that one piece of paper had over him was dangerous, but he wouldn’t give up this elated feeling for anything. Finally, after six weeks of working in opposite circles, he was going to meet Youngbin.


	5. First Encounter

The days seemed to pass by dreadfully slowly until the following Friday came around. Youngbin often caught himself drifting off in the middle of lectures, thinking about what his housemate would be like in person. He had looked up quite a few recipes for meals he would be able to make, and with Seokwoos help had finally narrowed it down to two options that were relatively simple. The three youngest accompanied him to the supermarket that weekend after the dance club finished up their practice, he was going to get all the necessary ingredients for both dishes and just let Inseong decide on the night.  
“He doesn’t have any allergies right hyung? Or any aversion to certain foods?”  
Taeyang was always looking out for things like that, but Youngbin assured him that Inseong loved all foods and had no allergies. They had confirmed things like that when they started doing grocery lists together, to make sure neither of them would have a bad reaction to anything they brought into their apartment. It really was so domestic, and Youngbin couldn’t wait until he finally would be able to put a face to the name, and a voice to the notes on their fridge.

Inseong was having second thoughts about agreeing to the whole dinner thing, just the two of them alone in their apartment. Not because he didn’t want to meet Youngbin, not at all, but rather because of how useless he felt. Youngbin had already said he was going to cook, and had two options in mind, so all that was left for Inseong to do was show up. It was Wednesday and he was lying in the middle of his bedroom floor with his entire wardrobe scattered around him. He had spent the last two hours trying to decide what he was going to wear since it was very important to him that he looked good. Kim Youngbin was gorgeous, Inseong had seen him in the start of term dance open in his sleeveless tank top and shorts, and his arms and legs were no joke. That was before he knew they were actually living together and thinking back on it made it even worse.

“Sanghyukkie~ I need help choosing what to wear on Friday. What time are you finished classes today?”

In his desperation, he rang his friend, Jaeyoon would have been more of a help in the realm of fashion but he was away on a university field trip today and so could not come and help him out. 

“Hyung you know I stay late to work in the radio club on Wednesday, you’ve got loads of really nice clothes and it’s just a casual dinner. Why are you stressing so much? I gotta go ok? Don’t forget to eat before work!”

He sighed as his youngest friend ended the call and threw his phone onto the pile of shirts beside his bed. There was no reason for him to be worrying so much, that was true, but first impressions were important and Inseong really wanted his housemate to look at him and think “Woah”. There was nothing he could do with what he currently had, he would just have to go shopping before work tomorrow instead. With that decided he spent the next half hour diligently cleaning up his self-made mess and got ready for work. On his way out the door, as an afterthought, he grabbed a small shopping bag to bring with him. If Youngbin was going to be making the food, then the least he could do was supply them with some alcohol. At least that way if things got awkward they had a backup plan.

Friday arrived none too soon and Youngbin was a nervous wreck. He hadn’t been able to concentrate at all and for the first time in his four years, he skipped out on his afternoon lectures for reasons other than illness or dance practice. He didn’t have the capacity to feel guilty though, as he was poring over the two recipes again to make sure he had absolutely everything. It was weird being in the apartment during the day he decided, he hadn’t gotten to think about it much when he was here scrambling to write a Post-It the week before, but it felt very strange. Youngbin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, there was nothing else he could do other than wait for Inseong to get back. The situation he was in suddenly struck him and the nervous butterflies increased ten-fold. He was never here during the day, he only ever arrived back after Inseong had left for work, his housemate was going to be home from his classes any minute and would not be expecting him there, it was another two hours before they were supposed to meet. Youngbin decided he would wait it out in the library and was just out of the kitchen when the front door opened.

A guy he could only assume was Inseong walked in through the front door of the apartment, and Youngbin felt his breath hitch at the sight before him. His housemate had soft brown hair that fell across his forehead in a fringe. He was wearing the cutest round glasses and was dressed simply in a white t-shirt, oversized black cardigan and jeans. He had headphones on so hopefully didn’t hear Youngbins gasp of surprise. When he looked up, a pair of intelligent brown eyes met his and for a split second the world stopped spinning.

Inseong screamed, not in fright but more from the shock and embarrassment of the situation. He had thought he would have at least an hour when he got back from his classes to get ready to meet Youngbin. Yesterday he had dragged his two friends out to buy new clothes and had come home satisfied with an outfit that he felt said “classy but cool”. But now here he was standing in their entry hall, wearing his glasses and a casual outfit in front of the guy he’s had on his mind 24/7 this last week. And he looked stunning, a three-tone knitted sweater, with a pair of jeans, and his hair falling casually across his forehead. It was unfair and his loud mouth decided screaming was the best response to the situation. It really wasn’t and Youngbins face creased with worry and what seemed like guilt at his reaction. Before he could even get his head back to normal, suddenly Youngbin had crossed the space between them, and all Inseong could see were his pink lips moving and hear violins in his head. He then realised he still had his headphones on, and his cheeks flushed pink in more embarrassment.

Youngbin had panicked when the guy across from his screamed and the only logical response his body could think of was to move closer, he ended up closer to Inseong than was necessary and while he had stopped screaming Youngbin couldn’t help but stare at his pretty lips. Then his housemates hands had come up in front of his face and his attention was drawn upwards, to where nervous eyes were staring at him as he took his headphones down from his ears.

“Um, hi? I’m Inseong.”

His voice was lower than Youngbin expected, and it was soft and velvety, there was a slightly husky quality to it too. There was a strange aching in his chest and the sudden desire to ask Inseong to sing to him, but he hurriedly shook that thought away. Then he realised he had been staring and not replied and felt himself turn bright red.

“Oh yeah um, hi. I’m Youngbin your housemate, you probably figured as much, but you screamed and I just wanted to assure you I didn’t break in or something.”

Inseong was slightly taken aback by how soft and raspy his housemates voice was, it was certainly not what he had expected from someone who held a leadership role. Although he was surprised, there was a desire to hear more and more of his voice.

“Yeah, I guessed so. I just honestly wasn’t expecting you to be here that’s all. I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

“No no I wasn’t frightened, just worried about you.”

Youngbin smiled sheepishly and Inseong laughed a little as he scratched the back of his neck. They were finally meeting face-to-face after almost two months of living together and while it was a relief, there was an obvious awkwardness in the air.

“Ahem – well why don’t I just go put away my bag and that and we can discuss the plan for dinner?”

It was so tense, and both of them could feel it although neither knew what the other was thinking. Youngbin nodded and went to go move himself back towards the kitchen, shuffling his feet as he went. Inseong gladly escaped into his room and threw his stuff down onto his bed, he felt like crying. There was no way he would be able to get changed without it seeming suspicious, and he didn’t want Youngbin thinking he saw this as a date or anything. He quickly freshened up by washing his face and putting on a bit of makeup that showed off his cat-like eyes, and shot a distress text to his friends. This was going to be a longer night than expected and he needed them to be prepared for an intervention.

Youngbin heard the door to Inseongs room shut and immediately dropped to the floor, his heart was racing so fast he was surprised it hadn’t been heard by the other. After taking a few shaky breaths he sent a possibly incoherent string of messages to the group chat before attempting to fix his hair a bit. He stood awkwardly by the ingredients he had bought and waited. While he was waiting he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to his housemate. He was definitely one of the most beautiful guys Youngbin had ever met, and that’s saying something after being to one of Seokwoos fashion club meetings before, where he had met an actual angel by the name of Cha Eunwoo. But Inseong just looked so casually handsome, and yet incredibly intelligent at the same time, and Youngbin knew he was a goner.

When his housemate came back out and into the kitchen Youngbin swore he felt the breath knocked out of him again. There weren’t any noticeable differences to his outfit, but his glasses were gone and eyes looked so sharp and piercing, he couldn’t tear his gaze away. Inseong may have smirked a little at the open-mouthed look Youngbin was giving him, and thought that perhaps he had a chance after all.

Dinner actually turned out to be a very enjoyable affair, after deciding on which of the two dishes they wanted to eat Youngbin quickly set to work. Inseong offered his assistance by chopping vegetables and handing over the required cooking utensils, but for fear of somehow poisoning the food he refrained from doing any of the actual cooking. They got the chance to make small talk during the process, learning a little more about what they studied and family life. Youngbin talked animatedly about his dancing and Inseong retold stories from his year living in London. 

As they were getting ready to sit down, meal fully prepared and two hungry stomachs grumbling, Inseong pulled out a bottle of white wine from the fridge, cocking his eyebrow cheekily. Youngbin laughed and nodded enthusiastically, they didn’t need alcohol to help the conversation but it would be a nice accompaniment to their food. One glass turned to two and then three, and while neither of them were drunk there was a freer way of speaking between them. They decided that the dishes could wait until the next day to be done, and Youngbin made his way over to flop face first onto the couch. It had been a perfect evening, the two getting to know each other and chatting like old friends about past experiences. He was content to just lay there and let the alcohol buzz through his system when something cold touched his cheek.

“I knew you went to bed early, but it’s only nine in the evening, you’re not falling asleep on me just yet are you?”

There was a playful tone to Inseongs voice, and when he turned his head he saw the taller man crouching beside the couch with several bottles of soju in hand. He had a wicked grin on his face and Youngbin felt hot all of a sudden. But he could hold his alcohol pretty well, at least by his friend’s standards, and there was no way he would turn down such an obvious challenge. Not to mention, it would be more time spent getting to know his housemate so he was not going to refuse. He swung himself into a seated position on the couch and patted the newly available space next to him. Inseong was not expecting the daring grin on his housemates face, but it could only mean good things. So he plopped himself down, possibly closer than Youngbin was expecting and definitely closer than necessary, but he was on a high from the food and the wine and the positive feeling he got from their time together so far, and didn’t want it to end just yet.

“A toast then, to finally meeting each other after so long.”

Youngbin raised his bottle to that, and they both took a big swig, for courage. The bitter alcohol burned its way down his throat but it was enough to keep him grounded in the moment. The further into their bottles they went, the more personal the conversation became, telling stories that few others knew of. Youngbin opened up about Youjin, who his friends knew about, but also Seungjun, someone they didn’t, recalling his first time actually sleeping with another guy and the hurt he felt when he realised he had been used. Inseong in turn told him of Johnny but also about Jaehyun, and a trip to Oido that he had never shared with anyone before. It was private and personal, and the pair felt themselves growing closer as the night progressed. Eventually they reached the end of the stash, and both a little more than tipsy they called it a night. As they were about to part ways at their respective rooms, Youngbin grabbed Inseong by the wrist.

“I really had a great evening with you, it was nice getting to know you better and just talk.”

“Yeah it was, I’m glad we’ve gotten close enough to share personal things like we did.”

Inseongs voice dropped lower under the influence of alcohol, and Youngbins soft raspy tones were close to inaudible. But in the little space between them, they heard everything and felt the bond that was something more than just friendship become solidified. As they both nodded and moved away, Inseong couldn’t stop himself from saying something stupid.

“You know, I’ve kept them all. The Post-Its I mean.”

There was an unreadable emotion in Youngbins eyes as he turned to look at him, but he smiled softly and tilted his head to the side.

“Me too. Goodnight Inseong.”

When the two bedroom doors shut and their occupants lay down in bed, all was quiet and peaceful in the apartment. Only now, the awkwardness and nervous energy that had been bouncing around since the start had dispersed, and was replaced by a more intimate bond and understanding. They would both make more time to see each other, they knew that much. But what they didn’t know yet, was how much they would make their little time count.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was one hell of a ride, I can tell you that much! Thank you to everyone who read and left kudos and comments, they are all very much appreciated! I ended up with 10k words again but I'm happy with how it all turned out.
> 
> For reference, the outfit Inseong is wearing when he meets Youngbin is like this   
>   
> and the one he wanted to wear was like this   
> And Youngbin is dressed like this 
> 
> If the response is good, I might write the backstory for how the two groups of friends met each other, and maybe if people wanted it I could write Zuho and Rowoons story too? Let me know what you think!
> 
> Come and yell at me on tumblr, I love meeting new friends! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/impy96


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